10 Gift Ideas for History Geeks

It wouldn’t be the pre-holiday season without a lame-ass listicle featuring gift ideas. So here’s ours!

Lovers of history range in their styles of showing that love, so here are a few varied ideas for different types of history lovers, the subtle history enthusiasts to the out-and-proud geeks.

1. Books

This is probably the most “Well, DUHHHHH” item on this list. But I am going to suggest some holiday scheminess: find their GoodReads list and see what they haven’t read yet before investing in that hardcover. Or, if in doubt, go for a gift card to a local indie bookstore.

I’ve almost given up reading paper books at this point. I was even able to surpass my To Read goal for this year, but only because of audiobooks. I’ve had subscriptions to two different audiobook providers and Audible has the widest selection and the best app by far. They offer gift subscriptions and different plans for people who go through more than one book a month.

3. Theatre Tickets

American history is cool now, didn’t you know? Scoring tickets to Hamilton may or may not be a possibility for you, but there are other plays and musicals based in history. Shakespeare has a bunch of history plays. The musical Chicago was based on a few true crimes that took place in the 1920s and a few others were based on true events too: Evita, Dreamgirls, Annie Get Your Gun, Jersey Boys, The Sound of Music and many more.

4. DVD Sets

Fictional or non-fiction, there are DVDs available for just about everything. Fans of World War history might enjoy the Band of Brothers DVD collection while a Renaissance enthusiast might enjoy The Tudors or The Borgias. As for non-fiction, there are documentaries available on just about every subject.

5. Accessories

Now we get into the really fun stuff. Websites like Etsy… sorry, I got distracted by the gif above… Websites like Etsy were made for nerds wanting to express their nerdness, no matter the niche. Earrings, bracelets, tote bags, cufflinks, ties, watches, rings, necklaces, you name it. You can usually find at least something with your historical figure of choice on it.

Why yes, those are in face Napoleon earrings.

6. Artwork

People in years gone by considered it a mark of loyalty to the monarch by keeping a portrait of their king or queen hanging in their home. There are lots of websites that sell prints of royal portraits. You could also go for artwork more fun and playful like this Badass Queens Print (Etsy). I also really like this map of fictional London.

7. Action Figures

I myself collection action figures, some from movies but mostly real people. I’ve got Elizabeth Bathory, Bettie Page, Jack the Ripper, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Lennon and a few others. You can even get a Jane Austen action figure that comes with a writing quill and a book! (Yes, I do want it!)

8. Toys and Games

You get board games for trivia buffs (but the selection seems to be a little slim) or you could go with a video game like Assassin’s Creed or Sims Medieval.

Like what you see? Subscribe to Links from the Past, a new monthly newsletter featuring a curated collection of the best history articles from your favorite online sources. Get goodies and enter giveaways just for being a subscriber. Sign up today!Jillianne Hamilton is an author, history enthusiast, book lover and graphic designer. Her debut novel, Molly Miranda: Thief for Hire, was shortlisted for the 2016 Prince Edward Island Book Award. She is currently working on her first non-fiction book. She lives in Charlottetown on Canada's beautiful east coast.
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